1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of greeting cards, and more particularly to a combination greeting card and envelope which is made from a single sheet of paper, i.e. card stock, and which can be folded to display the face of the card, and folded into the form of an envelope for mailing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Greeting cards, announcement cards, holiday cards and the like are widely exchanged among people of all the world. Billions of these cards are printed and sold in the United States alone each year. Most cards are provided with a separate envelope. The envelope is most often immediately thrown away, with the card being saved, or also thrown away at a latter date. The result is a tremendous volume of paper being manufactured and thrown away, which contributes to the solid waste disposal problem.
In the past, others have attempted to create combination mailing cards and envelopes. U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,157 to Cruz discloses a combination greeting card and envelope which uses adhesive materials and tear off strips and a closure flap to permit the greeting card to be closed up. The closure flap and tear off strips are removed upon receipt. However, the mailing address side of the card is still visible in this card. U.S. Pat. No. 4,780,975 to Friedman teaches a combined mailer and easel-type display frame. The Friedman card does not provide a way to display the card in a flat states, i.e. to be displayed for retail sale. U.S. Pat. No. 1,632,185 to Jenner discloses a tripartite mailing card with three folding panels, which when folded into one embodiment provides an envelope, and when folded in a second embodiment reveals the greeting card side of the card. The card of Jenner does not provide a hinging front door. U.S. Pat. No. 1,347,269 to Greble, U.S. Pat. No. 2,148,279 to Sandberg, U.S. Pat. No. 2,203,578 to Podmore, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,669 to Moran are representative of folding postcard and envelope combinations.
Notwithstanding the earlier attempts to create a greeting card which optimally combines a greeting card and its envelope in one unitary package, made from a single sheet of paper, such as card stock or thick papers, these efforts have fallen short. There is accordingly a need for a combination greeting card and envelope made from a single sheet of paper or other material.